January 2024
Greetings in Christ Jesus!
We are very excited to offer our next leadership training class. I am so pleased with the overwhelming response by many of our participants of previous classes. We had great discussion and a lot of thoughtful and heartfelt processing.
The heart of this journey is defining and affirming Christian Leadership as shepherding. Included in this is a call to peacemaking. While this class is a requirement for anyone wishing to serve as an ordained officer, the principles are applicable for anyone in leadership or thinking about leadership opportunities in the future. Some people are specifically being invited to participate as a way to nurture future leaders.
Over the years, previous participants have retaken the class as a way to be encouraged and refreshed. The content is really excellent, and the discussions are even better!
We are ready to start a new group and inviting any interested people to join us. Here are some details:
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Time: 9-11AM
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Dates: Saturday mornings of January 6. 13, 20; February 3, 10, 17; March 2
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This journey has several pieces that work together:
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A devotional titled While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Tim Laniak. The church will purchase copies for every participant because we are investing in leadership training. The focus of the devotional is leadership and shepherding. This devotional has been a huge hit!
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A series of videos on RightNow media titled The Leadership Opportunity. A direct link will be provided, but the material is currently found on RightNow’s library. These videos are led by several people, including Tim Laniak. The focus of the videos is Biblical leadership.
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Discussions about the devotional.
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Discussions about the videos. The videos have specific break out points with discussion questions.
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So, we will read the devotional together, watch the 1st few videos together, and then share our thoughts, experiences and journey. After a few videos, everyone will watch the next videos on their own (or with a partner) and our group time together will be processing the readings and the videos.
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While a few previous participants read the book and watch the videos on their own, hearing other people’s experiences significantly contributed to the impact. Importantly, leadership is a relational ministry and this class is a great way to build and strengthen relationships.
Next steps?
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Pray about joining us. If you know someone else you’d like to invite, please do! Several couples have taken the class together.
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Sign up. The best way is to stop by the Connections desk after worship. You may also go to the church calendar on our church website and click on the link on the event.
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Have a conversation with Tim if you have questions.
This material is the best I have found and used in my ministry journey. It is very accessible, Biblical and practical. It is by no means limited to church or ministry leadership. It has practical implications for parents and leaders of all kinds.
If you have more questions, please reach out!
Peace,
Tim
